The 3D lab

Alpine invasions

Posted on August 16, 2016 by lembrechtsjonas

With all that travelling (first fieldwork in Sweden/Norway, then the conference in Florida), I did not have time yet to announce the good news: we just got a paper published in Alpine Botany, reviewing the current knowledge on plant invasions in the alpine zone, above the tree line.

Western European species like the red clover (Trifolium pratense) here are often listed as non-native species in mountain regions.

It was a fruitful collaboration from our network, (MIREN, the Mountain Invasion Research Network), joining forces with everybody that knows something about plant invasion in the highest mountains.

Although the alpine zone has been harder for invasives to access than most places, human structures like trails are often an easy gateway for the invaders to get up there. Picture from Abisko, Swedish Lapland.

You can read all about it through my post on the blog from the Mountain Research Initiative.

The paper: Alexander et al. (2016). Plant invasions into mountains and alpine ecosystems: current status and future challenges. Alpine Botany.

Posted in Science | Tagged Ecology, Global change, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Plant invasion, Plant invasions, Science, Travel, Travelling | 1 Comment

Florida Zoo

Posted on August 15, 2016 by lembrechtsjonas

Well, the whole of Florida is a bit of a Zoo, that is for sure.

Green anole hiding under a bridge

Even for conference people that didn’t have the time to go out all day, like us, there was plenty of wildlife to discover.

Pelican at the beach

I always have that impression with North America, that it has plenty of wildlife, living close enough to humans to be spotted (and maybe even being less afraid than their European counterparts, but that’s only a wild hypothesis).

Luckily, it also seems that the United States have a very well organised system of National Parks, as well, there to protect the nature and wildlife. I saw lots of talks at the ESA ecology conference from American park scientists and what they are doing, and that was an impressive set of presentations.

Protecting turtle nests on the beach of Fort Lauderdale

That is the merits of being in applied ecology, you see the immediate impact of what you are working on, in contrast with the theoretical work that is the biggest part of what I focus on. I am very happy with my role, though – doing what I do best – but it was surely enlightening to see the other side of the ecological spectrum once again up close.

Tiny snake up close in a mangrove forest

Posted in USA | Tagged America, ESA2016, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Hiking, Nature, Nature photography, Outdoors, Travel, Traveling, Tropics, USA, Wildlife | 2 Comments

An alligator!

Posted on August 12, 2016 by lembrechtsjonas

‘Oh no, there is these tourists again, just one day visiting the Everglades ad craving to see an alligator. Better do my show-up again!’

The alligator getting closer after he spotted us

You saw him thinking exactly that when he left his chill-out spot to swim right towards us, our maybe there was a modern hunting method involved (‘oh, look, there is those tourists that tend to drop snacks in the water’).

The alligator up close

Fact is, we saw an alligator on the most beautiful spot in the most beautiful swamp in the most beautiful cypress forest I have ever seen. And that was just awesome.

Maybe getting a bit too close, mister Alligator!

Posted in USA | Tagged Alligator, America, Animals, ESA2016, Everglades, Florida, Hiking, Nature photography, Outdoors, Photography, Travel, Wildlife | 7 Comments

These scientists planted these invaders in the mountains and you will never expect what happened next!

Posted on August 11, 2016 by lembrechtsjonas

I know, I know, it is a click-bait title, and that makes the dissappointment even worse: you are not going to find the answer in this article! If you wanted to find out, you had to be there at my talk at the ESA-conference in Fort Lauderdale, where I yesterday presented our surprising results for an audience lucky enough to get the story after the click-bait.

Surprised gull here in Fourt Lauderdale, who never expected what happened next!

For all of you, you will have to keep your patience. The paper is currently under review, and as soon as he is out, I will of course reveal what you never expected to happen next! Let’s just hope that ‘what happens next’ is a very good review…

The convention center, where all the scientific magic is happening

Posted in USA | Tagged Birds, Ecology, ESA, ESA2016, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Photography, Science, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Through the trees

Posted on August 8, 2016 by lembrechtsjonas

Like the Florida jungle, where at first sight all is a uniform green, before slowly the exciting plants and animals start to appear.

That’s how the schedule of the conference of the Ecological Society of America tends to look. Hundreds, if not thousands of ecologists giving a presentation, tens of sessions at the same time. It is easy to loose the overview.

But there is plenty of hidden treasures in there. Must-see presentations, exciting talks, people you have to meet. And that is the aim of this week: get home from ESA with lots of new inspiration and connections. Wish me luck, I’m about to dive into the jungle!

Posted in USA | Tagged America, Animals, Conference, Ecology, ESA2016, Everglades, Florida, Science, Travel, USA, Wildlife, Wildlife photography | 4 Comments

Florida

Posted on August 7, 2016 by lembrechtsjonas

Good morning, sunshine state!

Allow me to bring some mountain ecology to the Florida wetlands… I’m here in Fort Lauderdale for the conference of the Ecological Society of America, ready to spread the word about our research. Exciting!